Last night there was a terrible storm and I felt very bad, but I would never hear the end of it if I bailed on Caitlyn now. So I sucked it up and went with Caitlyn to the shops. We went to this boutique called Belle robe which means beautiful dress, how corny. But it was the cheapest boutique in town. Caitlyn instinctively chose every pink dress in the boutique and I was going to have to see every one of them on her. But each time I said that a dress was perfect on her she said that she wouldn’t think twice about tossing it out, what was I there for anyway, I had already bought my dress after her fifth fitting. I chose this black and red dress, it’s a halter neck which is red silk with a black netting it also looks torn at the bottom. So, cool. Caitlyn on the other hand was a typical Barbie doll she in the end chose a pink ball gown uggg.
As we walked out guess who bumps into us, Aegis. With a smirk on his lips he said, “So you’re buying a dress to impress me”
“I’m buying a dress but why do you think it’s to impress you?” I said smugly avoiding his gaze which seemed to go right through me. How come I feel so embarrassed around him when I don’t even know him?
“Who else would you buy it to impress, we are going to the dance together after all” he said with a cocky grin.
“When did I agree to go with you again? Oh, now I remember I didn’t answer you, you just assumed”
“Well, do you want to know how I knew you would say yes?” He smiled in my direction. “I’m a mind reader” He said in a loud whisper.
“Are you nuts?” Caitlyn yelled out of nowhere, in front of everyone .
“Caitlyn stop every ones looking at us” I said softly.
“No, I won’t stop this guys a freak” she snapped.
“What are you talking about?” Aegis asked looking puzzled but his eyes stared daggers at Caitlyn.
“You know perfectly well what I’m talking about, you’re a monster and I don’t want you anywhere near my best friend!” she yelled practically biting his head off.
“What are you talking about Caitlyn?” I asked.
“No, stay away from me!” she yelled. She sat down on the floor, curled up into a ball and started crying as if she was about to die.
“Why are you crying Caitlyn, what happened?” I asked feeling utterly useless.
“Just take me home and leave me alone!” She screeched.
“Ok come let’s go” I said.
“Do you want me to walk with you?” Aegis asked, taking me by surprise. I completely forgot he was there.
“No, for some reason she thinks you’re a monster, so I think it will freak her out even more than you already do” I said calmly trying not to aggravate Caitlyn.
He said sincerely “At least let me give you two some tea to calm Caitlyn down” handing me the tea bags he smiled but there was worry in his eyes.
I took her home and led her to the couch. She was still rambling on about Aegis being a monster but I ignored her as went to the kitchen.
The whole thing with the tea was weird but I made Caitlyn the tea, it smelt a lot like nutmeg. Caitlyn drank the nutmeg spiked tea and offered me some. But even though I hate nutmeg I took a sip just to shut her up. She passed out right there on the couch after she finished the cup. I felt a bit woozy and followed her into her nutmeg induced coma.

I woke up lying in my bedroom. I can’t remember walking back but maybe Caitlyn’s mom drove me back. Oh well it doesn’t matter how I got home just that I’m here and not with Caitlyn and her ramblings. I know I must sound like a terrible friend but I get really annoyed with her sometimes.
I got dressed and combed my long black difficult hair that everyone seems to think is so soft. I looked in the mirror and just saw my blue eyes that everyone goes on about being crystal. Their just eyes I mean gosh. Something wasn’t right but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Putting it aside as my imagination, I went to the kitchen and got myself cornflakes with lots of sugar and milk. My mom walked in, took one look at me and turned white.
“Hey, mom what’s wrong?” I asked confused.
“Henry, call doctor brown, something’s wrong with Katie!” she yelled at my dad who was in his study across the hall.
“Ma, I’m fine just a bit tired” that’s when I realised I shouldn’t be tired I just woke up, and it wasnt just me being groggy from waking up, I was dead tired.
“I’m busy, what’s wrong?” He said not even trying to hide the annoyance in his voice. He walked in and turned the same shade of white my mom did. Both of them were looking at me with shocked pale faces and I didn’t even know why.
Dad eventually phoned Dr Brown, our family doctor, and he came right away. He looked at my vitals, took some of my blood and said he couldn’t find anything, but it seemed as if I had anaemia. He told my distraught parents that I should get more iron in my diet and that he would run some blood tests and tells them what he finds.
I convinced my parents that I was enough ok to go to the dance tomorrow but they didn’t look too sure. So they ordered me to eat a 500g steak with spinach on the side and sent me to bed. I don’t think having anaemia demands bed rest but I was so tired I didn’t argue.
When I got to my room I fell on my bed and fell asleep.

I can see a tunnel stretched out in front of me. It’s extremely dark and there’s white marble floor like the ones you see in fancy home décor magazines and shows. I decide that whatever is following me is much worse than the tunnel and I walked into it. At first I walked slowly but I slowly started to pick up speed until I reach the belle robe where Caitlyn had her break down. I see Aegis standing in the doorway flashing his pearly white teeth in a cocky grin. And the next thing I know I’m in Caitlyns house where I passed out with her. And right in front of my face was Aegis, who is still wearing that cocky grin that I just wanted to wipe of his face. But when I finally built up enough courage to actually do it his canines start to elongate and I’m frozen. I can’t move.
He says in his dreamlike voice “You almost got away this time by drinking some of the tea but not enough to stop me from commencing with the second phase of the change”
He leans forward and I catch a glimpse of tiny horns under his hair. And as I feel the tiny stab of his canines I shoot up in bed, gasping for air. Luckily mom and dad didn’t see this or they wouldn’t have let me go to the dance.
I got out of bed feeling a lot better than yesterday but still shaken by the horrible dream about Aegis that was probably just a part of my imagination that’s gone wild. There’s no way he could be a vampire. He walks around in the sunlight, what vampire can do that.
I shake it off and start getting my dress and everything else I needed to get ready together. Luckily today we don’t have school because the teachers think it’s a good idea to let us relax for one day for some inexplicable reason. Its 12:00 when Caitlyn comes over, already in her Barbie gown. She insists that she has to do my hair and make-up. She seems to have completely forgotten about Aegis being a monster and actually seems excited that I’m going with him.
When she was done with me she let me look in the mirror. I had Smokey eyes that brought out the blue in my eyes, blood red lips, a slight pink blush on my cheeks and my hair was in a Dutch braid, whatever that is. All in all I looked like the walking dead with my pale skin. Which reminds me all over again about that dream of freakiness.
The dance starts at 18:00 but Aegis came to pick me up at 16:00. When I asked him why he came so early he said “I don’t like being late, and besides its very rude not to take a girl out to dinner before taking her to a ball.”
I told him “It’s not a ball, it’s just a dance”
He looked at me as if he would never let me out of his sight, and it’s kind of freaking me out a little.
“You won’t see it like that when we get there” he said being very mysterious.
I just accepted that he wasn’t going to give me a straight answer and dropped the subject.
We went to a very fancy restaurant that I’ve never even heard of until tonight. The food was amazing, I tried my best to eat slowly but it was so good I started scarfing it down. It didn’t seem like Aegis minded; he just ate his meal and watched me like I was under a microscope. That made me stop for a bit and talk to him. We didn’t speak about anything important; it was just idle chit chat.
We got to the dance late. Mrs Pierce just glared at me when we got out of the car. Who would put grumpy old Mrs Pierce on chaperone duty? She doesn’t like social events; I don’t think she even went to them when she was my age. We went into the gym and I was blown away by how elegant the room looked. Aegis was right it really was an honest to good looking ball. And he couldn’t have chosen a better time to arrive. Everybody was slow dancing.
“May I have the honour of this dance?” he said in a very gentlemanly way. I couldn’t help but giggle. He took me into the throng of dancers and we danced. When the slow dance ended he started busting out these really cool moves that I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone do before. We were the centre of attention the entire night. I was having so much fun when he said “We’ve got to go now”
“Why? I’m having so much fun. Can’t we stay a little bit longer, please?” I pleaded.
“Ok, fine. But only another 10 minutes, I’ve got to get you back at 11 remember.” He said sternly but with adoration in his eyes. It looked really strange together but he was right my dad would freak especially since I was now ‘sick’.
I said my goodbyes and went home with Aegis. He took me straight home which disappointed me because he didn’t even try to kiss me all night. Not that I would of let him. What was it about him that was bothering me so much?
I changed into my pajamas as soon as I got home and got into bed. The next thing I remember is Aegis kissing me.

It wasn’t really a kiss he was feeding me blood. Don’t ask me how this thing works. All I know is that there was blood coming out of his mouth and filling mine forcing me to swallow. I would of gaged if I was still normal but I wasn’t something was different and I didn’t like it.
When he finally realised I was awake.
He said very sternly against my lips “You must drink!”
“Why what are you doing?” I said the confusion very obvious on my face.
“You are dead.” But he said it like it was a good thing, which confused me even more.
“What are you talking about? I can’t be dead I’m talking to you, unless. Oh, you are, I am” I felt so sick but nothing happened.
“You must drink!” he shouted at me. Still not really getting what he was talking about. And it was probably very clear on my face. He slit his wrist and practically shoved it down my throat. But instead of gaging again. It just tasted amazing. Better than the food we had at that really fancy restaurant. He pulled his wrist away when he thought I had enough.
“You are changed, now come.” He said.
“I’m not going anywhere before I get some answers. What are you? Where are we going?” I was angry at him for telling me what to do but I also wanted to know what the heck was going on.
“Fine. We are ‘arrepentido’, vampires. We are going to our clans underground compound.” He said very irritably.
“What are you talking about?” I asked still very confused.
“We aren’t safe here let’s get into the compound, and then I’ll answer all your questions.” He said in a much gentler way that reminded me about the way he spoke to me last night. If it was last night. It is in the middle of the night round about the time he told me we had to leave the night of the dance. I wonder if getting me home by 23:00 was really about my dad worrying about me, whatever the real reason was it wasn’t to keep my dad happy.
“We are here,” Aegis said as I followed him into a cave. It was dark but he didn’t seem to have any trouble finding his way around. He took me to a staircase and we walked down what felt like 12 stories. We got to a chamber that had 3 doors. Each door had a name on it. The first door said gato, the second los muertos, the third, arrepentido. I followed Aegis blindly, not even bothering to ask him about the doors. We went into the los muertos door. There wasn’t anyone in this passage either. It seemed to be completely abandoned, although everything was as clean as an underground tunnel could be. Aegis opened one of the doors and said “Stay here and don’t leave until I come and fetch you”. There it was again, ordering me around if he didn’t answer my questions then why should I listen to him. The as if he heard me he said in the same voice he used at the dance “Please, I know you are getting annoyed with me but please, stay here. It’s safer for you this way.” And even though I had a million and one questions, I obeyed him without questions.

It’s been days and I haven’t seen Aegis. This room is huge but it didn’t stop claustrophobia from setting in. I haven’t eaten these past few days and I’m not famished just extremely thirsty even though there’s always water in my ‘room’.
I have to stop thinking about now and start thing about the future. Even If Aegis comes back, then what? Will I be able to go back home? Probably not. Since I woke up in an alley, with Aegis feeding me BLOOD. I should be repulsed but somehow it just felt right that night. Nothing creepy about it. Yet I don’t understand why.
Then interrupting my thoughts Aegis bursts in. I’m startled but he doesn’t seem to notice. He grabs my hand and practically drags me out of the room. If I wasn’t scared of him before I am now. He pulled me into out to the three doors again, this time he asked me “Which door do you want to go through, each door is significant”
Still startled by his outburst, it took me a while to process what he was telling me. But I was struck by a sudden realisation that this choice would determine my future. I looked at each of the doors. I recognised the words were in Spanish but I don’t know the language and therefore can’t read it.
I looked at the names again. Los muertos, the door I went through the first day, it only reminded me of the torture I went through alone and hungry. arrepentido, the third door, it had a sense of foreboding and I didn’t want to go near it. Gato, the first door, had a sense of calm. I looked at Aegis and said in a less than confident way, scared of how he would react “Gato”.
“Are you sure” He said not betraying any emotion in his face.
“Gato” I said more insistently. He frowned but didn’t say another word. He grabbed my hand and took me through the door. Inside was a beautiful meadow. The grass was freshly cut and a rich green. The sky was a crystal blue, the way people sometimes describe my eyes. The flowers were everywhere and what I could smell of them as I was dragged by was wonderfully sweet.
We reached the end of the meadow and he finally spoke “you must walk down this path alone, I won’t be here to help you, you’re on your own. Just follow this path and you will be fine.” He didn’t give me time to argue, he just disappeared.
The meadow was too beautiful, I was tempted to go back and fall asleep in the sweet smell of flowers. I didn’t though something stopped me, and I knew I had to do what Aegis had told me. Even though I hated him more and more for the way he has been treating me. I’m not a piece of meat. Well maybe I’m not. I might just be a bag of blood to him. But I’ll never know if I stay here.
The path ahead of me was covered in vegetation, I could barely see it. But I followed it as best I could. Walking alone gave me even more time to think. But know I just wanted to know how we could see the sky from this deep underground. It’s something I’ll have to add to my growing list of questions that I have to ask Aegis.
The path started clearing but as it did it entered a forest. But not a friendly forest that you hear about in fairy tales. No this was a dark and gloomy place. I almost turned back when I heard a cry. I couldn’t tell if it was human or an animal. But who knows it this strange place. I followed the path into the forest. It didn’t take long before the darkness completely enveloped me. But I kept following the voice. I’m sure I should have reached the cry by now but, it still sounded so far away. I kept walking and found the source of the cry, it was a ginger cat.
It stared down at me with glowing green eyes. Just staring. No sound came from it since I found it. I sat down and said to this mysterious cat “What’s wrong; do you like sending people on wild goose chases?” The cat jumped down and sat on my lap. “You just want a friend that’s all. Isn’t it?” It purred and jumped off my lap. It trotted off and I hit my head for thinking a cat would actually understand me more than a human could. But the cat came back and stared at me again. I got up and it started walking again. I followed it, because when I didn’t it turned around and made a loud cry. I followed it to another door at the end of the forest. I went into it and was blinded by light.
I covered my eyes from the light. I heard the argument of a group of people all around me, but the light was so intense I couldn’t see what was going on around me. I heard bits of the argument “………..he did it without our permission………..” “She found……..” “………..exile………..” All this talk around me, but didn’t care all I want is to get out of this blinding light. I staggered around trying to find the door. I did this for a while before giving up and crumpling to my knees. This seemed to shock the people around me, because the arguing stopped. The light started to dim and I could open my eyes.
Staring at me in shock was a group of about 300 people. They seemed to be of all ages. I spotted a girl who looked about ten. But I also saw an old man that I couldn’t really identify an age for. Feeling self-conscious about all the eyes on me, I slowly got back onto my feet. The cat I found seemed to have stayed with me throughout my time in this….cage. Yes that’s what it looked like. A round cage, bars around me so that I couldn’t touch the people around me and a gigantic dome above me as if I could fly.
I spotted Aegis in the crowd with a very pretty girl, she had long curly red hair and the same green eyes as Aegis, and I couldn’t help but feel jealous. He was mine. Realising what I was thinking about I chased away the thoughts with the memories of him dragging me around. The girl stood up and addressed me “Katherine, you were chosen by Aegis and have transformed. We do not allow transformations that have been carried out without our permission. In any other case you would be killed along with your master. But since you passed our tests, we will forgive his transgression and you may both live. We leave you now in his capable hands, so listen and learn to be one of us. ” The crowd responded saying “one of us!” and left the cage.
When all of the people left, the door to the cage opened and standing there with his signature grin was Aegis. I stormed past him, not even bothering to look back at him. He caught pretty quickly and said “I will take you to your new room and there you will feast.” I went with him full of anger and frustration. I could feel his gaze on me but I ignored him and kept walking. My new room was through the Arrepentido door. Everything seemed to be full of life here. There were people everywhere. But when we got close to them they stopped what they were doing and watched us, some of them giving me dirty looks. Not understanding the commotion I kept my head low and followed Aegis like a lost puppy.
When we got to the room, I wasn’t expecting the rows of food around me. There was steak, pork, fruit and something similar to wine. I looked at Aegis and he just shrugged and walked to the other side of the room. I gorged myself but nothing seemed to satiate me. I decided to try some of the ‘wine’. I may be underage but I was feeling a bit reckless. I took a sip but once I started I could stop, it was just so good. I looked at Aegis and asked “What is this stuff?” He sneered and said with disgust evident on his face “blood laced wine”. I almost barfed but Aegis was at my side in an instant. He gave me a hug but I didn’t return it. He released me and looked into my eyes and said “I did this to protect you. ”. I was too shocked to say anything. He almost got us both killed. Isn’t that what that pretty prick had said that’s what would have happened if I didn’t pass the test? “I’ll answer all your questions now, I’m all yours”. I glared at him but I asked my questions.

Aegis waited patiently while I asked my questions. He didn’t interrupt; write note or anything that would suggest that he was listening. I went on any way, needing to get the questions out of my mouth.
“I will answer all your questions, but it will be as I see fit. I will answer a few now,” Aegis said. This annoyed me a lot but I didn’t question him. Aegis continued “We are the vampire clan called, Arrepentido. An old clan who is hunted by the two other clans, codicia and asesinar. We are all fallen ones, but we are also different. We each have a defining trait that separates us. Our clan trys to limit our appetite, but it grows more and more difficult as we mature. Most of the original fallen have been killed, but their legacy lives on through us. Our clan has a council that tries to control our numbers. But there are those of us that choose to ignore their judgment-.”
“Doesn’t that include you? They didn’t seem too happy about me,” I said even though the realisation that I was now one of them disgusted me on so many levels. “No, I am not one of them. I respect their judgment but for reasons I can’t explain right now. I turned against them so that you could turn you in time,” he retorted and I picked up on a slight accent, that I cant quite pin point. I wanted to ask more but the frown lines on his face made it clear he was already discussing a subject he would rather avoid. So I let him continue, “When we continue our legacy the council will first approve the chosen then only will the ritual begin. The reason why I wear those sunglasses is because our eyes are very sensitive to light. We do not burn like those vampires you see in the cinema or read about in books. We are night hunters though and have a very high sensitivity to light. I would also advise you not to go wondering around alone, especially not after midnight. That is when our kind is hunted, if one of us does not return by midnight we do not search for they are most likely dead. Now you must rest, you have lessons tomorrow morning early in the meadow. Your gato doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” He walked to the door and turned around for one last glimpse of me with those dazzling green eyes as if his mere gaze could protect me from anyone who dared to come close to me. And I have a feeling that I will need all the protection I can get.

I didn’t sleep well last night, but I think if I didn’t keep waking up I would have been late. I got dressed in the clothes that were in the dresser. There was only one outfit in it. This major dresser but only black khaki pants, black fitness shirt and a black hoodie. I brushed my hair and left for the meadow. When I got to the gato door, the cat that I found yesterday was sitting in front of it. But when I reached for the handle I heard a voice that seemed to be coming from inside my head. “Wait!” Looking around I couldn’t see anyone. I reached for the handle again and the voice came back even stronger “You’re so stupid! Look down! I’m your teacher for los muertos sake!”
“What are you?” I said as I looked down at the cat.
“I am a gato, a cat. But you knew that. We have a bond that most arrepentido. take centuries to find. I will be your guide through your new life as an arrepentido. You may no longer see you family but if you feel a human trustworthy, then it is at your own peril to reveal yourself”
“Is your name gato?” I know stupid question but I really want to know what it means.
“I have many names but that is not one of them. It is the name of my race. We are the companions of the arrepentido. We live as long as our bonded masters. I have not come to discuss myself with you but rather about you and your new life so stop interrupting. Got it?” said the cat. I wasn’t happy of being spoken to like that but I shut my mouth and nodded. The cat spoke again “Good, now open the door so that we can start your lessons. Do not bother me with questions that is your masters responsibity. He will reveal to you what he sees fit to. Now come” I opened the door but we didn’t walk into the beautiful meadow that was there before. We were in what seemed to be a training area. There was targets to my right, life sized dummies to my left and an open space in front of me with scattered weapons. Everything seemed so different but I said nothing, not wanting to anger the cat thing.
I followed it to the dummies. It spoke again “This area changes to what we need. Before you needed to find me and the other arrepentido needed to test you. So it was what you saw. Now I need to train in body and in mind. We will start with your weaknesses. If you are struck with silver you will heal like a human would, but other wise you would heal immediately. If you are struck with a wooden steak through the heart your body will not function, but you will still be alive. Fire will also not kill you unless your ashes are scattered which will prevent you from reforming. But a final death can only be done if you were hung by your feet and drained of all your blood after your throat has been slit by a silver blade. Those are what make you vulnerable and what your enemies will try to exploit. But you also have many defences. You have fuerte, mejorar, coercion, rapidamente